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Zacher wrote: ↑Mon Oct 16, 2023 10:26 am Been researching using a beer keg and glad I found this thread. I'm going to give it a go directly to my tower with a tri-clamp. If it's starts to be a pain to fill and clean I'm thinking about welding a 4" bulkhead and getting a reducer. Hoping that will not be necessary.
Tower.jpg

If your still is 2", it can connect directly to the exiting fitting on the keg. If you want a 4" or a 6" port, well that can be installed offset from the fitting that's currently on the keg. In other words ... you don't have to replace the existing fitting with a 4"-6" port. That's usually everyone's first instinct, that's what I did too, but I wish I did it the other way around.

Now for a Tri-Clamp gasket to work with the existing fitting on that keg, you would need to grind/sand one side of the gasket flat otherwise it will not connect & seal properly to the keg. PTFE gaskets are the easiest to modify because they are very hard/rigid so they're easy to grind & sand smooth.

Thanks Salt. Yes, it's 2" and I have the gaskets, just need to sand one down. I also saw the thread about making an everlasting PTFE gasket. I thought that was pretty slick. Good call on installing a port offset. Makes much more sense and eliminates the reducer cost.

This is how I did mine. It works very well. That's a 4" tc fitting. I can get my arm all the way into the keg for cleaning, but i'm fairly small at 5-9, 160. For stripping I can use it as a fill port after pumping out the backset.

That looks good Higgins. What did you use as a cover for the 4" fitting?

It's a 4" TC cap with PTFE gasket.

My keg looks the same Higgins. I've got a few pounds on him but my arm still fits in but anyone with big arms probably would need bigger.

My most frequent use of the 4" port is for filling especially when I do several runs back to back.

I found clamping the column or riser to the sanke very frustrating. I welded a 2" ferrule in the sanke but the fit is so good it would be an easy solder joint too.

A sight glass like Higgins is great if you're running something pukey like my rye turned out to be.

I did solder a 2" ferrule into my keg opening. It is a nice press fit, but there is a notch on the inside of the sanke fitting that allows solder to run out if the keg is upright. So you need to lay the keg in its side so the solder would fill the little notch instead of running out thru it. You can probably guess how I know this.

In hindsight I would have cut off about 3/4 inch of the sanke fitting first to keep the top of the ferrule below the keg rim. I still intend to do that one day.

That is the bottom plate of my 4" Flute in the sight glass. I have a 2" that I use when running the pot.

elbono is right, the keg fitting being flat makes it a bit more difficult to attach a Tri-Clamp to it. The groove in the ferrules mate with the raised portion of the Tri-Clamp gasket allowing the ferrules to 'self-align' for clamping together. With a flat face, flat side of the gasket, YOU have to center the fitting before clamping.

If I intended on replacing the 2" fitting on a keg with a 2" Tri-Clamp ferrule, I would use an angle grinder and an abrasive cutting disk. I'd cut the fitting off just above the top of the keg. I'd then switch the angle grinder from the cutting disk to a grinding disk and grind the top flat. Now you can have a 2" ferrule TIG welded to the top of the keg. I'd still prefer to do this than installing a 4"-6" ferrule on the very top center of a keg.

What higgins did certainly negated the need to weld a 2" ferrule to the top of his keg by soldering a ferrule to the sanke fitting.

Tracking down a part for my still head, so I spent a few minutes mocking up my Liebig. It has not been soldered. Here is the photo. It is about 4.5 feet long,

That's long enough.
Next figure out how to connect the cooling water.
Have the hoses pointing down so they won't want to kink when hot.

I am thinking I can do an easy water connection in and out flow with an old garden hose and a couple of hose clamps. Not super elegant but should be effective.

deanodeano wrote: ↑Mon Oct 16, 2023 9:34 pm I am thinking I can do an easy water connection in and out flow with an old garden hose and a couple of hose clamps. Not super elegant but should be effective.

That worked perfectly with mine Deano, just follow Shadys advice and have the inlet/outlet orientated to minimise kinking.
Also look at support either from above or have a stand to take some weight away from the column/riser

Sporacle wrote: ↑Mon Oct 16, 2023 9:42 pm

deanodeano wrote: ↑Mon Oct 16, 2023 9:34 pm I am thinking I can do an easy water connection in and out flow with an old garden hose and a couple of hose clamps. Not super elegant but should be effective.

That worked perfectly with mine Deano, just follow Shadys advice and have the inlet/outlet orientated to minimise kinking.
Also look at support either from above or have a stand to take some weight away from the column/riser

Ditto, and another thing I'd suggest (As suggested to me not that long ago!) Is to have a valve to control water flow, right at the inlet of the condenser, so that you can fine tune it.

deanodeano wrote: ↑Mon Oct 16, 2023 9:34 pm I am thinking I can do an easy water connection in and out flow with an old garden hose and a couple of hose clamps. Not super elegant but should be effective.

Garden hose and clamps are good enough.

@Sporacle, thanks for the advice on the support. Thinking of splitting some 2 " pvc to form a supportive trough, with 2" pvc legs cut at the appropriate angle where they cement to the trough.

@Mooseman, the water control valve near the inlet is a great idea, and easy to do!

@Everyone, I have been a long time brewer and as I increased my production I finally bought a full sized keg and had most of the top cut out of it to use as my mashing vessel. I will dig it out of my shed and add a pic later. I have been thinking about buying another used keg and having the top including the 2" flange cut out of it on a larger circumference, and using that piece as a top for my old mashing vessel to convert it to use as my distilling vessel. (I can mash in it as well, of course) I am sure I can drill some holes around both the new "lid" and the old brew vessel and bolt them together and buy a large piece of the appropriate gasket material and cut a custom gasket to seal them together for distilling. Your thoughts?

I am probably over thinking the Liebig support. I can take a couple of my ladders and space them appropriately to accommodate the slope of the Liebig?

deanodeano wrote: ↑Tue Oct 17, 2023 8:09 am
I finally bought a full sized keg and had most of the top cut out of it to use as my mashing vessel. I will dig it out of my shed and add a pic later. I have been thinking about buying another used keg and having the top including the 2" flange cut out of it on a larger circumference, and using that piece as a top for my old mashing vessel to convert it to use as my distilling vessel. (I can mash in it as well, of course) I am sure I can drill some holes around both the new "lid" and the old brew vessel and bolt them together and buy a large piece of the appropriate gasket material and cut a custom gasket to seal them together for distilling. Your thoughts?

I like your plan to mash in a keg. A direct benefit is that this mash tun can automatically be utilized as a fermenter, removing and transfer requirements. This process has worked well for me. Restaurant supply houses carry stainless lids that can fit over your mash tun/fermenter nicely.

You might end up less-than-happy with how a 'bolt-on' lid performs because of the work involved in making (and keeping) it a viable distilling vessel if you follow that route. Many members have had a ferrule (mine is 6") welded to the top of their keg and then reduced down to whatever diameter riser/column they are running. Could be considered a worthwhile investment in the long run.

The challenge in supporting a 4' liebig will be creating a convenient take-off height.

I will mash and distill with propane. I do it on a traditional turkey fryer stand. I think I have sufficient height to accommodate the liebig

The long Liebig would be ideal when heating over fire. It keeps the output well away from flame. Some here use really long Liebig condensers.

deanodeano wrote: ↑Tue Oct 17, 2023 8:19 am I am probably over thinking the Liebig support. I can take a couple of my ladders and space them appropriately to accommodate the slope of the Liebig?

I've used a few random things, but I now use an old photography tripod with my own long Liebig as it's the perfect solution.
Stable, finely adjustable and lockable at any height and as it's a tripod, there's a perfect space between the legs for your collecting vessel.

MooseMan wrote: ↑Wed Oct 18, 2023 8:22 pm
I've used a few random things, but I now use an old photography tripod with my own long Liebig as it's the perfect solution.
Stable, finely adjustable and lockable at any height and as it's a tripod, there's a perfect space between the legs for your collecting vessel.

That's good thinkin'.

deanodeano wrote: ↑Mon Oct 16, 2023 4:24 pm Tracking down a part for my still head, so I spent a few minutes mocking up my Liebig. It has not been soldered. Here is the photo. It is about 4.5 feet long,

What size pipe are you using? Looks like maybe 1" over 1/2" ...

@Wildcats. Yes, it is 1 inch over 1/2 inch.

deanodeano wrote: ↑Thu Oct 19, 2023 1:38 pm @Wildcats. Yes, it is 1 inch over 1/2 inch.

From my understanding.. a Liebig condenser works best when using the next size up in pipe... ie 1" over 3/4". & 3/4" over 1/2".
I'm not saying the 1' over 1/2" won't work. But if you changed out 1/2" for 3/4" (if you haven't soldered it yet) you will have a better condenser ( from what I've read) I've only ever run a worm, and a 36"x3/4"x1/2" liebig and shotgun 1/2"x4. 2" x 19.5"
However you go... I look forward to seeing your build. Good luck sir.

Wildcats wrote: ↑Thu Oct 19, 2023 4:39 pm

deanodeano wrote: ↑Thu Oct 19, 2023 1:38 pm @Wildcats. Yes, it is 1 inch over 1/2 inch.

From my understanding.. a Liebig condenser works best when using the next size up in pipe... ie 1" over 3/4". & 3/4" over 1/2".
I'm not saying the 1' over 1/2" won't work. But if you changed out 1/2" for 3/4" (if you haven't soldered it yet) you will have a better condenser ( from what I've read) I've only ever run a worm, and a 36"x3/4"x1/2" liebig and shotgun 1/2"x4. 2" x 19.5"
However you go... I look forward to seeing your build. Good luck sir.

I'd agree with that Wildcats

deanodeano wrote: ↑Tue Oct 17, 2023 8:19 am I am probably over thinking the Liebig support. I can take a couple of my ladders and space them appropriately to accommodate the slope of the Liebig?

Plan B is to screw an eye hook into the celling and use cord to support the takeoff end of the liebig.

Wildcats wrote: ↑Thu Oct 19, 2023 4:39 pm
I'm not saying the 1' over 1/2" won't work. But if you changed out 1/2" for 3/4" (if you haven't soldered it yet) you will have a better condenser

There's a big step up in performance between a 1/2" and 3/4"
Ya already have a 1" waterjacket, it would make sense to use a 3/4 vapor tube.

Ok, he's been told twice, but also explain why. I believe it's about surface area as well as the volume of the vapor tube. A larger diameter vapor tube has more surface area per lineal inch therefor it has more surface area to condense the vapor. Also the larger diameter has a higher volume which allows the vapor that passes through to travel slower which allows more dwell time (a longer time to get the opportunity to condense along the surface) . That means you would have significantly more vapor knockdown power per lineal inch of Liebig condenser in comparison to one with a smaller diameter vapor tube. Also with such a close fit between the vapor tube and the water jacket, many prefer to spiral a copper wire between the two pipes which forces the water to spiral around the vapor tube and make it allegedly more efficient. If you have a more efficient Liebig condenser, then it should be able to handle more power than a less efficient one. This is particularly most handy when doing stripping runs while running as high of power as the product condenser can handle.

Thank you SMF. You explained it way better than I could.

Thank you gentlemen, I will take that under consideration and advisement.